seniority
on the committees is the main factor in determining
the chair.

But
seniority is no longer the only factor:

In
the 99th Congress, House Democrats voted in a
secret ballot in caucus to remove 80-year old
Melvin Price as Chair of the Armed Services
Committee (118-121)

Passed
over the member next in line in favor of
seventh-raking Les Aspin of Wisconsin, who
campaigned for the post.

In
the 102nd congress, the Democratic Caucus ousted
two aging chairs whose leadership had been deemed
ineffective:

Frank
Annunzio (IL, House Administration

Glenn
Anderson (CAL), Public Works

In
the 104th Congress, Newt Gingrich departed from
seniority in three cases

Robert
Livingston (LA, Appropriations, passing over 3
more senior Republicans.

The
power of the chair in the past has been vast, but now
the chairs of subcommittees have become more
important, and sometimes senior members will
relinquish the opportunity to chair an unimportant
committee in preference for the chair of an important
subcommittee.

Committees
and subcommittees have great power over
legislation.

Upon
introduction, bills are referred to committee for
deliberation.

A
study of legislation from 1955 to 1964, shows that
90 percent of all House bills that went through the
normal committtee process and came to a vote passed
the House.

70
percent of all House bills reported from committee
passed the chamber unamended.

65
percent of all Senate bills reported pass
unamended.

An
alternative committee system: British House of
Commons

Only 6
or 7 general standing committees, ranging in size from
16 to 50 with membership proportional to party
representation.

Committees
have no jurisdiction over the major principle of the
bill, for it is voted on by the house BEFORE being
sent to committee.

The
principle in parliament is that the government is
responsible to the house as a whole rather than part
of the house (a committee).

Moreover,
these committees have no subject-matter jurisdiction
(A, B, C, designation), bills are assigned by
rotation, and appointment of members varies from bill
to bill.

Consequences
of the American system of legislative committees

Extreme
decentralization of authority in considering
legislation.

Specialization
of knowledge and acquisition of expertise among
committe members.

Fixed
and relatively stable committee membership means that
each committee and even subcommittee is a "little
legislature".